While many people may believe those who break the law will go to jail, it isn’t always that simple.

Pope County Sheriff Aaron DuVall and Jail Administrator Terry Bailey work hard to ensure the smooth operation of the Pope County Detention Center — a job that is often complicated by elements largely beyond their control, such as the jail population.

PCDC is built to comfortably hold 166 inmates, 140 males and 26 females. That number, however, has been — and continues to be — exceeded frequently. As of Friday morning, 177 inmates were housed at PCDC. In the summer of 2013, DuVall said the jail roster was often near 200, and at one point surpassed that (204).

One of the major contributors to inflated jail populations, Bailey and DuVall said, is a trickle-down effect due to overcrowding at the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC). DuVall said of the 177 inmates at PCDC, 85 were waiting to go to the ADC. Some of those inmates have been waiting since July or August to be transferred.

“They can be in here for six months or so (before being transferred),” DuVall said.

Housing ADC inmates for long periods of time not only takes up space in the local jail facility, but it also costs money. Once the paperwork is completed and ADC accepts an inmate, the state pays the county for housing that inmate until he or she is transferred to a state facility.

However, the state-mandated reimbursement is $28 per day, while DuVall said the actual cost associated with keeping a prisoner is $42 per day.

To try to alleviate its overcrowding problem, DuVall said the state has, in recent years, enacted legislation to make it more difficult to face felony charges. He said when he started working at the Sheriff’s Office, a theft of property worth at least $500 was considered a felony. Now, the requirement is $2,500. Drug possession charges have seen similar changes.

For its part, PCDC works with judges and Pope County law enforcement agencies to maintain a reasonable inmate population.

Everyone who is arrested on felony, DWI or violence-related charges or who might be considered a danger to himself or others is brought into PCDC. Officers might, however, give someone arrested on a nonviolent misdemeanor offense, such as shoplifting, a court date in lieu of taking him or her to jail.

“You have to prioritize,” DuVall said. “You don’t want to do that, but you’re forced to.”

Inmates serving time for misdemeanor charges may be released early if deemed necessary, Bailey said. In addition, he said county judges work to speed up court dates when possible to help get inmates through the system faster.

Bailey said ongoing high inmate populations can create challenges to maintaining the jail facility itself.

In addition to straining the budget — calculated annually based on a population of 166 — operating the facility at maximum capacity strains the infrastructure as well as the officers who work in the jail.

“It just doesn’t work well when it’s overcrowded,” Bailey said.

The challenges faced by Bailey and DuVall aren’t unique, Bailey said.

“This is a nationwide problem,” he said. “This is not an isolated Arkansas problem.”

DuVall said there are some alternative punishments available, implemented by some cities elsewhere in the state and country, to help keep misdemeanor offenders out of jail.

Those alternatives include things such as community service and electronic monitoring. Implementing such punishments would be up to the cities and judges who determine sentencing options.

So put offenders on the floor of the cell with a cover and peanut butter sandwiches/milk or water or use the National Guard tents...they are good enough for our soldiers ..they are good surely enough for criminals.

In the fall of 2012, I ended up spending 40 days in there because I had the nerve to ask Judge Bourne to see the proof he had against me. He told me that the "hot" checks were from 2 years before, I informed him that I did not have a bank account at that time, so he said 3 years before. I informed him that I did not have an account at that time either and he screamed at me, "Five years ago!" I asked to see the copies of the checks to verify that they were even mine and he refused and screamed at me, "60 days punishment!" Maybe if our judge was not so petty when people ask to see the proof against them, especially in a case like this, our jails would not be overcrowded. I heard many stories like this while I was incarcerated. Also, I am disabled and was denied when I asked for my wheelchair (because it could be used as a weapon), yet they allowed me to have my crutches, so I was confined to my bed for 40 days because my crutches were dangerous to use on that floor.

I believe youabout Judge Bourne I was at a bond hearing and he was putting people recieving SSI benefits said it was his state excuse me I thought it belong to the United States not him. If they vote his a** out and get a judge that is Not putting people down and to him everyone is guilty why not let them prove their case show them the proof you have so they can see if its true or not!